


Learning Curve

by Persephone_Van_Dyke



Series: Meeting Of The Ways [3]
Category: Doctor Who
Genre: Community: kink_bingo, F/M, Tickling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-09-16
Updated: 2011-09-16
Packaged: 2017-10-23 18:54:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/253768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Persephone_Van_Dyke/pseuds/Persephone_Van_Dyke
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She does it to annoy him. It never occurred to her then that he might like it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Learning Curve

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the prompt 'Tickling' in [kink_bingo](http://kink-bingo.dreamwidth.org/)
> 
> Not my characters, not making any money from this

  
She does it to annoy him, or distract him, or when he's driving so she can reach across him and quietly tug the right control while he's spinning round to tell her off.

It never occurred to her then that he might like it.

'Ri-VER!' he'd snap, grabbing at her hand as her sneaky fingers crept under his jacket to his ribs or armpit. And she'd look innocent, and he'd sigh, or launch into a tirade about how what he was doing was rather important, actually, and could she not be so infantile?

But occasionaly, she thinks, is he deliberately asking for it? Sometimes, he will, sitting next to her, give an exaggerated yawn and stretch his arms above his head, practically inviting her to leap in and prod him in the ribs and make him fold up and squeak.

But every time she does, he looks so annoyed - that delicious pout of hurt dignity, the dark scowl if she did it twice - that she thought she was imagining it.

Right up to the first time the handcuffs came out for fun purposes.

On this particular trip, early on in their relationship for him, he tended not to mention it in between times, but occasionally - usually after some hair's-breadth escape, when he was practically glowing with adrenaline (or whatever Time Lords have instead) - he'd grab her and kiss her, and she'd make the right moves and lead him off to bed.

Up to now, hugging and stroking and gentle groping and, once, a pillow-fight, had been fun. There have been orgasms, but surprisingly few, and she's very content to abandon linearity and just experiment with any sort of sensual play that he likes.

This time - given that he'd made no objection to her holding his hands above his head on previous occasions - she handcuffed him to the headboard.

'You have a safeword?' she asked, placing the sonic screwdriver on the bedside table so she could unlock the cuffs if necessary.

'Raxacoracofallapatorius?' he said, uncertainly

'Now why would you have picked that?' she wondered aloud, rucking up his shirt.

The Doctor muttered something that sounded pleasingly like 'Jack's idea.' River kept her face collected, concealing her inner delight. Of course it was, and she'd heard _that_ story from the man himself ages ago, come to think of it.

'Well, it's memorable,' she said. 'Don't worry, I'll stop for pretty much anything that sounds like that.'

'Oh. Good.'

Now there is all this smooth bare skin under her hands, his shirt pushed up almost to his chin, and she moves over to sit astride him, dragging her hands softly over him. He squeaked and tried to twist away from her.

'Ooh, that's a _good_ noise,' she said, coolly, repeating the move - featherlightly tracing fingertips down his narrow ribs, and this time he struggled harder, fruitlessly trying to pull away.

'Bit more?' she said, and brought her nails into play. His reaction was less intense this time.

'River?' he asked in a breathless voice. 'What's the word for if you like something?'

'Sorry?'

'There's a word for "stop it", what's the word for "please do it again"?

'You don't need a word for that, sweetie, you just say "please do it again".

'Oh.' He seemed confused. 'Seems silly, I mean you'd think - '

'Doctor,' she stilled his chattering with a kiss. 'Just because I'm on top doesn't mean you can't ask for things you like. It's a game - you're allowed to have fun.'

'Oh, I am having fun - it's just - well, all right, the tickling thing, that was really nice, I like it, can we do that some more?'

The words came in a long rush like he was frightened to ask at a sensible pace in case she noticed what he was saying.

'Of course we can, my love,' she said. 'Like this?'

She started gentle, working over his lower ribs first, then moving up to his armpits. At first, he only squeaked and tried to pull away, but as she moved highter he got more dramatic, struggling to escape from her hands, beginning to giggle uncontrollably.

'Aoh - oh - oh stoppit!' he gasped, arching his long slender body to try and escape.

'Really?' She eased off, leaving him breathless.

'That's very - ' He didn't finish the sentence, apparently at a loss for words.

'Like it?' she asked.

'Yes,' he gasped, with so little hesitation she almost laughed. Normally, getting him to admit any sort of sexual enjoyment is a difficult process. Now, though, he's glowing, eyes bright, dishevelled and gorgeous.

'Want some more?'

He nodded, licked his lips, and braced himself, tensing up before she even touched him.

This time, she was harsher, forcing him to wrench away from her, his breath coming in great gasps. He was losing control of himself in the intensity and inescapability of her knowing little fingers, tickling fast at his ribs and his underarms. Once he was struggling and kicking about, she stopped again, and let him lapse back against the pillows, panting.

'You're struggling a lot - are you sure you're enjoying this?'

'Yes,' he said, in a small, breathless voice. 'I am.'

She can understand it. A man who is frightened by violence - as he has good cause to be - and has no understanding of painplay yet, might well find tickling is the one sort of kink he can relate to and enjoy, because it's not violent, it's silly and funny and teasing without being tormenting.

 _So far, anyway_ , she thinks.

She got astride him - those deliciously long slim legs were free and he was able to thrash very effectively, so pinning him down at the hips was a good idea.

He looks more sweet than ever like this - pinned in place with his arms pulled above his head, stretching out his slim torso to best advantage - his eyes, big and apprehensive and excited, and his lips set firm against the next time she touched him.

This time, she thought, she will really push him. Holding him in place, her full weight on his lap, she began again, darting her fingers delicately along the line of his ribs, into the fuzz of his armpits, making him whine and yelp as she did so. She alternated hands for the effect, and he threw himself from one side to the other, joyfully yelling at her.

' - Stop it! Stop it! Oh River, no no no don't!' but there's no pain in his voice, nothing to tell her he's suffering except in the pleasantest possible way.

'AAAH! You bad bad girl! Stop it! STOP IT RIGHT NOW!'

'Going to make me, sweetie?' she asked quietly as he struggled to stop giggling long enough to put up a fight, trying to breathe and failing. Every fresh touch forced a helpless laugh out of him.

He was wrenching away from her hard now, using his weight to fight, bucking and jolting under her.

'Aaoh - damn it, stop! I hate you - I _hate_ you - stop it, stop it, stop it!' he shrieked, losing control entirely, almost hysterical, and River, leaning close, whispered 'No you don't,' and stopped, easing off, stroking her hands firmly down his heaving chest, keeping the contact.

He lapsed back, shaken and spent, tears of joy clinging to his eyelashes, and in a weak, breathy voice, said, 'No, I don't. Not really.'

She lay down close to him, put her arm across him - felt a momentary twitch as he misread her intentions - and hugged him. He sighed, shifted closer.

'You really like that, don't you?' she asked.

'Oh _yes_.' Easy, uncomplicated acceptance. She smiles. Sex is a complicated, dangerous, emotional place that he's slowly trying to work out. Tickling, on the other hand, even with attendant bondage and limit-pushing, he is quite happy to play with.

It's adorable, she thinks. She unclipped the handcuffs and kissed him, before curling up with him to savour the comedown.

END  



End file.
